Welcome to Wellness, Health & You (WHY), a research study supported by the University of Kentucky. As a new WHY member, you will first be invited to take a short baseline demographic survey. After this baseline survey, you may be periodically invited to take other short surveys on different topics such as:
- People of Color
- Queer Health
- Preventative Health Measures
- COVID-19
WHY is a longitudinal health research study, meaning it collects data over time to identify how our health may be changing due to events and aspects of our lives. Some surveys may be offered on a quarterly schedule throughout the year. It is your choice to take or not take any survey, at any time. You can skip any questions you may not want to answer. All data is kept secure and is confidential. The data you supply to WHY is studied by qualified researchers who look for how things may be affecting us, or how we respond to certain events. Your personal information is NEVER shared with anyone: researchers may only use anonymous, de-identified data.
WHY is a research study and so your consent to participate must be obtained before you can complete any survey. If you so choose, you can provide your consent on the following consent form. This consent form includes all the information about WHY, its purpose, and your rights as a WHY member. If you provide consent, you will then be directed to your baseline survey. If you have questions about WHY at any time, you may contact us by emailing WHY@uky.edu.
Consent to Participate in WHY
Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of Wellness Health and You (WHY), a health study. This consent form gives you important information about the possible risks and benefits of joining in WHY. If you volunteer you will be one of at least 30,000 people to do so.
WHY was developed for two reasons.
- To learn more about sex differences within health contexts through research.
- To provide participants an opportunity to join in a research
Joining WHY involves completing a short (15-20 minute) electronic survey annually using any computer, smartphone, or tablet. Additional surveys may be sent to you depending on your answers to the initial survey. You can choose to join or not join in any of the surveys. Your survey and contact information are stored in separate secure servers, and the computers used have encrypted software. Wellness Health and You is a longitudinal study. The answers you provide each year will be linked over time using an identification number unique to you. The health information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential at all times. You will not be identified in any reports based on WHY. You may not personally benefit from being in this study but your answers combined with others may help qualified researchers better understand how life experiences and exposures may affect life stresses, health symptoms, and disease. By joining WHY you will not receive any clinical procedures or treatments. You do not need to come to the University of Kentucky to join.
To help us protect your privacy, we have obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers can use this Certificate to legally refuse to disclose information that may identify you in any federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings, for example, if there is a court subpoena. The researchers will use the Certificate to resist any demands for information that would identify you, except as explained below.
You should understand that a Certificate of Confidentiality does not prevent you or a member of your family from voluntarily releasing information about yourself or your involvement in this research. If an insurer, employer, or other person obtains your written consent to receive research information, then the researchers may not use the Certificate to withhold that information.
The Certificate of Confidentiality will not be used to prevent disclosure to state or local authorities of child abuse and neglect, or harm to self or others.
If you decide to take part in the study, it should be because you really want to volunteer. You will not receive any rewards or payment for taking part in the study. If you decide to take part in WHY, you still have the right to decide, at any time, that you no longer want to continue your participation. You will not be treated differently if you decide to stop taking part in the study. There is no financial cost to you for entering your information in the study. The University of Kentucky is providing financial support and/or material for this study. If new information in regards to this study is learned that might change your willingness to stay in this study, this information will be provided to you.
Ann Coker, Ph.D., of the University of Kentucky, is the person in charge of this study but other people on the research team may assist in the research over time. You can contact Dr. Ann Coker at (859) 323-6758 or email her at ann.coker@uky.edu if you have any questions about WHY. If you have any questions about your rights as a volunteer in this research, contact the staff in the Office of Research Integrity at the University of Kentucky at 859-257-9428 or toll-free at 1-866-400-9428.
If you choose to complete this survey and join WHY we ask that you click "Agree" as your electronic confirmation that you have read and understood information about the study and that you consent to receive annual surveys and other email communications.
Thank you for your consideration in becoming a WHY member!